Mississippi, USA, Has Legalized Medical Cannabis
Governor Tate Reeves signed a bill on Wednesday that legalizes medical cannabis in Mississippi, USA. This makes the state the 37th to enact some sort of legislation regulating the medical use of the substance.
The new law allows patients to register in the state’s medical marijuana program and receive an ID card to legally buy their medicine at local dispensaries. Alternatively, they could designate a caregiver who will purchase medical marijuana on their behalf.
The 46th Time’s the Charm
When signing the bill into law, Gov. Reeves said he had no doubt that a number of people in Mississippi need this kind of medicine and will benefit from it. However, he expressed his concern with some of the language of the bill, saying that it wasn’t something he would write himself.
However, he respected the wishes of his constituents. A 2021 poll found that 63 percent of residents approved of the measure. Legislators were also unanimous in their support of reform. After much debate, the bill was approved by both the Congress and the Senate of Mississippi, although it took as many as 45 or 46 readings to perfect the language, according to the governor.
Liberal Enough to Work
The latest revisions in the draft restricted the ability of medical specialists to prescribe cannabis only to patients within the scope of their practice. Besides, a condition needs to be considered debilitating to qualify. Another rule prohibits dispensaries near churches and schools.
However, the law allows a variety of ways to consume the medicine, and the weekly and monthly limits will probably be enough even for people with severe conditions. Various products will be measured in units called MMCEU, and each unit is equivalent to 3.5 of dry flowers, 1 gram of concentrates, or 100 mg of THC in edibles and similar products. A patient can legally obtain up to 24 MMCEU every 30 days.
Surveys in other US states show that 3.5 grams, or an eighth of an ounce, of medical marijuana can cost anywhere from $20 to $60 and a patient spends around $300 a month on average, with people suffering from seizures spending the most. A simple calculation shows that 3 ounces of dry bud per month will probably suffice for most patients.
